Hydraulic cleaning apparatus



Sept. 8, 1964 J. B. Goss mmRAuLIc CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1962' da/7 5. GOJJ INVENTR A fro/M5 YJ United States Patent O 3,147,767 HYDRAULIC CLEANING APPARATUS John B. Goss, 2606 Knoblock, Houston, Tex. Filed .lune 22, 1962, Ser. No. 204,447 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-608) The present invention relates to a hydraulic cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to the control system therefor.

In hydraulic cleaning .apparatus or mechanism as presently employed, substantial difculty is encountered in maintaining proper control of the hydraulic fluid. It is desirable to discharge the hydraulic iluid on the surface being cleaned with substantial velocity, and it can be appreciated that because of the pressures involved, proper care and control of the hydraulic fluid should be maintained at all times.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic apparatus where the hydraulic cleaning uid may be circulated in the `system while the power source is in operation and without discharging the liquid.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a control system for a hydraulic cleaning apparatus wherein the hydraulic cleaning fluid may be circulated in the system whennot in `use, but which hydraulic liquid can be discharged at a substantial velocity to clean a surface.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide in a hydraulic cleaning apparatus, valve means which function circulates the hydraulic clean-ing fluid in the system until it is needed for use, whereupon the valve may be actuated so as to discharge the water for cleaning a surface.

A further object is to provide a solenoid controlled throttle means and a solenoid .actuated valve in a hydraulic cleaning machine which may be simultaneously actuated to increase the pumping rate of hydraulic iluid and actuate the valve for proper discharge of the hydraulic liquid to clean a surface.

l y Other objects and advantages of the present invention would become more readily apparent from the conside-ration of the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic view illustrating the present invention including the hydraulic and the electrical circuit employed in connection therewith;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, on the line 2-2 of FIG. 3 showing certain structural details of the valve of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side view, partly in section, showing the valve and the actuating means therefor.

Attention is iirst directed to FIG. 1 of the drawing wherein the invention is illustrated generally by the numeral 4. A power source is illustrated generally by the numeral 5, which power source may be either a diesel or gasoline engine, or an electric powered motor. A drive shaft 6 couples the prime mover or power source 5 with a pump represented generally by the numeral 7, which pump is used to discharge the hydraulic iluid from the reservoir 8. The pump 7 has its inlet 9 connected with the liquid reservoir 8 and its discharge is connected through the conduit 11 to the inlet 30 of the valve designated -generally at 12. The discharge side of the pump includes two outlet ports, one of which is connected with 3,147,767 APatented Sept. 8, 1964 the bypass line 13, which bypass communicates with the liquid reservoir 8, and the other outlet communicates through the conduit, or hose 14 with the jet nozzle means 15 by which the hydraulic liquid is impinged against a surface for cleaning thereof.

Solenoid means illustrated at 16 is provided as a throttle control means and are illustrated as being connected to the throttle lever 18 of the power source 5 for increasing and decreasing the speed thereof, as will be described in greater detail.

Also, solenoid means represented generally at 17 are associated with the valve 12 and serve as a means for -actuation of the valve as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

It is to be noted that the solenoid 1S which actuates the valve 12 and the solenoid 16 which actuates the throttle means 1S of the power source 5 are connected electrically in series as illustrated in the drawings so that they a-re simultaneously actuated as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The electrical circuit in which the solenoids 16 and 17 are connected includes a suitable source of energy such as a battery 20 for actuating the solenoids 16 and 17. The battery 20 is connected to the power source 5, as a ground, at one terminal and is connected to the switch 20a on its other terminal. The switch 20a is electrically connected by an electrical conduit to the solenoid 16, which in turn is connected in series to the solenoid 17. The solenoid is connected to the switch means 21 by electrical conduit 22, the switch 21 being associated with the nozzle means 15 as shown in the drawings. The switch means 21 is electrically connected to the metal braid on hose 14 and this is grounded on the motor housing of the power source 5 as shown in the drawings.

It can be appreciated that :any suitable form of electrical arrangement may be employed to accomplish the vpurposes of the present invention.

Attention is directed to FIG. 2 of the drawings wherein the valve 12 is illustrated in `greater det-ail, and includes a body 12a in which is tormed the uid inlet 30, which is connected with the conduit 11 that extends from the discharge of the pump 7. The fluid outlet from the valve 12, as previously noted, includes two ports 31 .and 32, the port 31 being connected to conduit 14, .and the port 32 being connected with the bypass conduit 13. The two ports 31 and 32 communicate with chamber 12b, which chamber also communicates with the inlet port 30 as shown in the drawings.

Suitable check valve means in the form of the ball valve 33 is provided in chamber 12b for closing olf the fluid discharge port 32 so that circulation of fluid through the bypass conduit 13 may be discontinued when desired. When the ball check valve 33 is in the position shownin FIG. 2 of the drawings, hydraulic uid is circulated from the inlet 30 to chamber 12b, and thenthrough the discharge port 32 and back through the bypass conduit 13 to the hydraulic reservoir 8. A spring loaded check valve represented generally by the numeral 34 is provided in the conduit 14, and is adapted to remain seated when the pressure within the valve 12 is approximately tive pounds per square inch or ls. Accordingly, when the power source 5 is merely idling, the pump 7 will pump fluid through the conduit 11 to the inlet 30, then to be discharged through the outlet 32 through the bypass conduit 13 .back to the hydraulic 4reservoir 8. The fluid will thus continue to circulate in the syetem in this manner until the ball check valve 33 is closed and the pressure in the hydraulic system exceeds iive pounds per square inch, lor at that pressure at which the check valve means 34 is adapted to open.

In normal operation the switch 20a will be closed, and as previously noted the switch 21 is mounted on the nozzle means 15 and when the switch 21 is closed, the solenoids 16 and 17 are each energized. When this occurs the throttle lever 18 of the power source 5 is actuated so that the engine speed is increased. This substantially increases the speed of pump 7 and at the same time the solenoid 17 actu-ates the valve 12 so that the ball check valve 33 is seated to close olf the discharge .port means 32. The simultaneous increase of the speed of the engine and the closing of the lbypass discharge port 32 in the valve 12 causes the hydraulic iluid to be discharged through the discharge port 31 and through the conduit 14 to the nozzle means 15 with substantial velocity. Such discharge will continue 4as long as the switch 21 is closed.

When the switch 21 is open, this deactivates the solenoids 16 and 17 simultaneously so that the speed of the power source is decreased and the ball check valve 33 then moved to an open position so that the fluid in the system may be bypassed back to the reservoir 8.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show in greater detail the actuating mechanism for the valve 12. The solenoid 17 is a standard single coil solenoid without a primary coil and its plunger is represented at 40 as depending downwardly against the lever 41. The lever 41 is pivotally mounted as illustrated at 42 at its other end and is connected with the vertically arranged pin 43 which tits slidably in the opening 44 of the housing represented generally at 45 as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing. The lever 41 and the pin 43 may be connected together in any suitable fashion and as shown in 4the drawing, the pin 43 is provided with a slot 46 at one end through which the lever 41 extends, there being a pin 47 through the slotted end of the pin member 43 to hold the lever 41 in the slot of the pin 43. It will be noted that there is a spring 48 which urges the pin 43 and connected lever 41 upwardly about the pivot pin 42 so as to engage the projection 49 which extends into the chamber 12b of valve body 12a to engage the valve member 33 as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show the arrangement of the components when the ball valve 33 is unseated and the discharge port means 32 is opened for circulating fluid back to the reservoir 8. When the solenoid 17 is actuated the plunger 40 moves downwardly thereby depressing the lever 41 and spring 48 so as to in turn permit the plunger 49 to move downwardly thereby lowering ball 33 onto the seat in the discharge port 32 to close it off. The arrangement of the solenoid 17 and its relationship to the valve 12 and manner of actuating it permits a solenoid to actuate the hydraulic valve, even though not too much force is ordinarily attainable with a solenoid.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that the present invention provides a system in a hydraulic cleaning apparatus wherein the hydraulic cleaning lluid may be circulated in the system while the engine or power source 5 is running. Thus, the system is in a standby condition so that when the switch 21 on nozzle means is closed, the system functions substantially instantaneously to discharge hydraulic cleaning iiuid with substantial velocity through the nozzle means 15. Similarly, when the switch means 21 s released so as to deactivate solenoids 16 and 17, this simultaneously decreases the speed of the prime mover 5 and connected pump 7 and also opens the bypass in the valve means 12 so that the iluid can again circulate in the system without discharge through the nozzle. The check valve means 34 will close substantially at the same time that the bypass in the valve means 12 is opened thereby preventing undue discharge of waste of the hydraulic cleaning iluid.

From the foregoing description it can also be seen that the present invention provides a control system for a hydraulic cleaning apparatus wherein the control of the discharge of the hydraulic cleaning fluid or liquid is conveniently located so that the operator of the system, while manipulating and directing the discharge of the hydraulic iluid through the nozzle means 15 may also have ready control of the hydraulic discharge at all times.

The construction and arrangement of the actuating mechanism for the valve 12 permits a single coil solenoid to be used in order to actuate the hydraulic valve, such actuation being accomplished even though pressures in the hydraulic system of the present invention will be encountered which will ordinarily exceed the force generated when the solenoid 17 is actuated. However, the arrangement of the solenoid and its structural relationship by means of the lever arrangement to the valve 12 enables it to control the hydraulic valve 12, which control would not otherwise be possible if the solenoid were directly coupled or connected to the valve 12.

Also, it is to be noted that the discharge conduit 14 provides one of the electrical conductors in the electrical circuit thereby reducing the equipment which might otherwise be moved about as the discharge means is manipulated by the operator.

Broadly the present invention relates to a hydraulic cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to a control system for a hydraulic cleaning apparatus.

What is claimed is:

1. A solenoid actuated valve combination including:

(a) a body having inlet and outlet iluid ilow passages therein,

(b) a valve member in said body for opening and closing one of said outlet fluid llow passages,

(c) rod means extending into said body for engaging said valve member to open said one of said outlet fluid flow passages,

(d) pivotally mounted lever means having inner and outer ends,

(e) pivot means disposed near said inner end for pivoting lever means in relation to said body,

(f) solenoid means abutting said lever means near said outer end and moveable thereagainst when energized to permit said valve member to close,

(g) a pressure actuated valve in a second outlet iiuid flow passage adapted to open for reducing the pressure in said body to a predetermined amount prior to opening of said one of said outlet iluid passages, and

(h) spring means abutting said lever means and adapted to open said valve member when the pressure in said body is such that said pressure actuated valve is closed.

2. A solenoid actuated valve combination including:

(a) a body having an inlet ow passage and an outlet fluid iiow passage and an outlet by-pass port therein with a ow channel for conducting the fluid from the inlet to the outlet and the by-pass port,

(b) a valve member in said body for opening and closing said by-pass port,

(c) a valve seat at said by-pass port for seating said valve member,

(d) rod means extending into said body for engaging said valve member to unseat said valve member and open said by-pass port,

(e) pivotally mounted lever means having inner and outer ends,

(f) pivot means disposed near said inner end for pivotally mounting said lever means relative to said rod,

(g) spring means engageable with said lever means for urging said rod against said valve member to unseat said valve member and open said by-pass port,

(h) a pressure actuated valve in said outlet oW passage adapted to open for reducing the pressure in said body to a predetermined amount prior to opening said by-pass port, and

(i) solenoid means operably connected to said lever means near said outer end for moving said lever and for compressing said spring means to thereby permit said valve member to seat on said valve seat and close off uid flow through said outlet by-pass port.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A SOLENOID ACTUATED VALVE COMBINATION INCLUDING: (A) A BODY HAVING INLET AND OUTLET FLUID FLOW PASSAGES THEREIN, (B) A VALVE MEMBER IN SAID BODY FOR OPENING AND CLOSING ONE OF SAID OUTLET FLUID FLOW PASSAGES, (C) ROD MEANS EXTENDING INTO SAID BODY FOR ENGAGING SAID VALVE MEMBER TO OPEN SAID ONE OF SAID OUTLET FLUID FLOW PASSAGES, (D) PIVOTALLY MOUNTED LEVER MEANS HAVING INNER AND OUTER ENDS, (E) PIVOT MEANS DISPOSED NEAR SAID INNER END FOR PIVOTING LEVER MEANS IN RELATION TO SAID BODY, (F) SOLENOID MEANS ABUTTING SAID LEVER MEANS NEAR SAID OUTER END AND MOVEABLE THEREAGAINST WHEN ENERGIZED TO PERMIT SAID VALVE MEMBER TO CLOSE, (G) A PRESSURE ACTUATED VALVE IN A SECOND OUTLET FLUID FLOW PASSAGE ADAPTED TO OPEN FOR REDUCING THE PRESSURE IN SAID BODY TO A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT PRIOR TO OPENING OF SAID ONE OF SAID OUTLET FLUID PASSAGES, AND (H) SPRING MEANS ABUTTING SAID LEVER MEANS AND ADAPTED TO OPEN SAID VALVE MEMBER WHEN THE PRESSURE IN SAID BODY IS SUCH THAT SAID PRESSURE ACTUATED VALVE IS CLOSED. 